Violent thunderstorms swept across France on Wednesday night, leaving two people dead and 17 others injured, including one in critical condition, according to civil protection authorities.
Among the fatalities was a 12-year-old boy who was struck and killed by a falling tree near Montauban in southwestern France. In the western department of Mayenne, a man died after his quad bike collided with a tree that had been blown down during the storm.
France’s national meteorological agency raised its thunderstorm alert level on Thursday in response to the extreme weather, which followed a record-breaking heatwave that had pushed temperatures above 35°C across large parts of the country earlier in the day.
The overnight storms brought powerful winds exceeding 100 km/h, accompanied by intense lightning and heavy rain. The extreme conditions caused significant material damage and widespread power outages.
Civil protection services reported that at least 100,000 homes, particularly in central France, remained without electricity on Thursday morning.
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